A NEW VISION WITH HOPE
The West Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still here
for YOU.

RESPONDING WITH LOVE
FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES.

Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors.

The people of the United Methodist Church

#wvumcflood16
Rev. Jack Lipphardt
Disaster Response Director

The thunderstorms that swept across
West Virginia on June 23, 2016,
produced what experts have labeled
a thousand-year flood.
More than 20 percent of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 55
counties were affected, four critically.

After flood waters recede, Clendenin, W.Va.

White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
Photo By: Greenbrier Photography

Known dead are 23 people. Another dozen
people died indirectly as a result of the flood.
More than 1,400 homes were destroyed and
more than 2,300 had substantial damage. A
total of 1,200 businesses asked the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, FEMA,
for assistance.
Clendenin United Methodist parsonage and church

Normally small, idyllic streams that wind through the
beautiful West Virginia hills quickly raged, flooding
areas that never before had high water.

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THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WVUMC.ORG/DISASTER-RESPONSE

“These areas typically now have populations that are
older and often poorer,” Tomblin wrote. “Many of
the flood-impacted regions were outside the flood
plain and, as a result, most victims were without
flood insurance.”

Hwy 39, Swiss, W.Va.
Photo By: Mike DuBose, UMNS

According to a report by then-Gov. Earl
Ray Tomblin, 1,300 sites on state roads were
washed out and 123 bridges were damaged
with 15 destroyed. Many privately owned
bridges connecting homes to roads also were
washed away.
As Tomblin pointed out in a letter to President
Barack Obama, “Most of the areas devastated
by these floods were towns and communities
that had been reliant on coal. That industry’s
downturn has left most of them with no
capacity to build back on their own.

White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

FEMA said the disaster was “harder and more
severe” than most because of its geographical
breadth as well as the number of previously
distressed communities that were impacted.

Clendenin, W.Va.

“WE ARE A CHRIST-LED, SPIRITUAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD!”

3

#wvumcflood16 continued
Sixteen United Methodist churches were damaged:
twelve heavily, one destroyed. Three parsonages were
impacted: one heavily. Communities are struggling to
survive and showing some remarkable spirit.

early response folks have gone. As usual and expected,
we and UMCOR are here for the long haul.
Where We Are
We are now transitioning through immediate and
intermediate response toward long-term recovery.
Our team is in place with a disaster response director,
two case managers, and two on-site construction
coordinators. If we can find funding, we need two
more case managers and at least one more construction
supervisor.

Brawley Chapel, Clendenin, W.Va.
Photo By: Mike DuBose, UMNS

Where We Have Been
Immediately after the flood West Virginia Resident
Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball assigned her assistant, JF
Lacaria, to devote his time fully to assessing the flood
and developing a response plan. The bishop recognized
the need for full-time disaster response direction and
asked me to take on this task.
The conference and the United Methodist Committee on
Relief, UMCOR, were on the ground immediately after
the catastrophe. In the pages to follow, you will read how
relief supplies have been distributed with the help of
the relief supply network and the New Vision Depot,
the West Virginia Conference’s warehouse and disaster
response hub.
You will also read how churches have served as relief
stations and emergency shelters and partnered with
organizations to stage supplies. There are stories
about ecumenical early response teams helping with
initial clean-up, muck-out, feeding stations, and other
emergency relief. And you’ll read about spiritual care.
We have partnered with Volunteer Organizations
Active in Disaster, VOAD, where our United Methodist
presence and our connection to UMCOR place great
trust and responsibility on our shoulders. Many of the

4

Beverly Schol, Director of GNJ, A Future with
Hope, Andrea Wren-Hardin and Jack Lipphardt
UMCOR’s case management training prepared us well
to assess needs and help families prepare their recovery
plans. Also, a regional director and case manager
from the Greater New Jersey Conference’s response to
Hurricane Sandy spent a couple of days teaching us
long-term recovery lessons they have learned.
Numerous work teams have helped with early response,
and now a slow but steady stream of work teams are
in rehabilitation and new construction activity. We
anticipate (hope!) this activity will increase in the spring
and summer of 2017.
Several churches were already equipped to host work
teams, and several more are coming on line as they
add restrooms and showers and upgrade kitchen
facilities. Two significantly damaged churches have
found new energy by serving as prominent players
in their communities’ responses with one already
adding showers and hosting work teams and the other
preparing to host teams soon.

THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WVUMC.ORG/DISASTER-RESPONSE

Each county has a Long Term Recovery Group to
which we relate with three hats:
1) We are the United Methodist presence in
recovery planning efforts;
2) Our case managers interact with United Way
organizations, the American Red Cross, and other
partners to stretch our dollars or address needs that
are beyond our capacity; and
3) We add resources to the work of others to assure
collaborative and effective help as people move
toward the “new normal.”
Where We Are Going
We anticipate that detailed case-management activity
will help 120 families over a two-year period. We
expect direct on-site construction activity will
assist 200 to 250 families with home rehabilitation
or new construction, including those in our case
management.
We expect indirect construction activity with
resources for materials and supplies to support other
work teams and in collaboration with ecumenical
partners will reach an additional 150 to 200 homes.
Naturally, we need substantial contributions and
funding to address current needs, and being optimistic,
to address more than we currently are confident in
projecting.
We have identified priority cases to include people
who are elderly, disabled, isolated and poor, and
children with single parents.
Moving forward, we need work teams and substantial
funds for construction materials and supplies and
occasional skilled labor. We hope a majority of teams
will come for a week and bring skilled carpenters,
electricians, plumbers and drywall finishers.
We are projecting a need of $2 million. Most will be
spent on home construction materials. We are in a
two-year commitment although FEMA and UMCOR
recognize that we will need to be present for four or
five years.
We are most grateful to congregations, work teams,
and individual donors who have become important
partners with us as we do the hard work of recovery.

An Unusual Weather Event

The weather over a large swath of West Virginia was
unusual on June 23, 2016, according to National Weather
Service Meteorologist David Marsalek.
“There were four separate rounds of thunderstorms with
heavy rain within 12 to 18 hours,” Marsalek said. “The
storms were ‘training’ — moving over the same region in
a short period of time.”

Heavy Rainfall

A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers precipitation gage
recorded 7.12 inches of rain near Clendenin, W.Va., on
June 23. A gage at White Sulphur Springs recorded 8.3
inches of rain.
It’s unusual for rain to fall on the entire length of a major
stream but that happened on both the Elk and Gauley
rivers. “With rugged topography that has steep mountains
and shallow streams, the rain quickly filled tributaries and
basins and sent catastrophic amounts of water into the
rivers,” Marsalek said.
Immediately following the storms, the Summersville Dam
on the Gauley River was discharging 15,000 cubic feet of
water per second. At that rate, the discharge would fill
60,000-seat Mountaineer Field every 36 minutes.

The Elk River at Queen Shoals, W.Va., crested at 33.37
feet, breaking the all-time flood record set in 1888. The
Gauley at Camden-on-Gauley crested at 29.75 feet,
breaking the previous record set in 1932.
In September the West Virginia Legislature appropriated
$85 million for flood relief. The state has estimated
that $340 million is needed for housing, economic
development and public infrastructure. As of Dec. 20, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency had approved
a total of $41.9 million in assistance for 4,942 individuals
and, as of Dec. 16, the agency had approved $52.8 million
for public assistance.

“WE ARE A CHRIST-LED, SPIRITUAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD!”

5

Hope - and heartbreak, too
By Rev. Shari Stilgenbauer
June 23, 2016, started like any other rainy day. I was
working in my office finishing up for the day. I stayed a
little longer than usual waiting for the rain to let up; at
about 2:30 I decided it wasn’t going to quit and I headed
for my home in Ronceverte, W.Va., which is about 20
minutes from the Emmanuel United Methodist Church
in White Sulphur Springs. As I was leaving I noticed
that the rain drops were bigger than normal. It seemed
like it was going to be a good evening to be at home.
While driving through White Sulphur Springs and past

White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
Photo By: Mike DuBose, UMNS
the Greenbrier Resort, I noticed there was a lot of water
running down the hillsides and streets. I guessed it was
because it had rained all day. I didn’t give it much more
thought.
I arrived home at about 3 o’clock and began fixing
dinner, preparing for my evening in. Mark Gillespie,
a member of Emmanuel, called at 3:30. He said the
water was forcing people, including his family, from
their residences. Without hesitation we agreed to open
the church for families and their pets who needed a
dry, safe place. I told Mark I would get back to White
Sulphur Springs as quickly as possible.

6

He said I couldn’t because there was water everywhere.
I insisted I would try.
My husband David, also a United Methodist pastor,
and I headed to White Sulphur Springs so we could be
in the community to help in whatever way we could.
We drove through Lewisburg and got on Interstate 64.
Harts Run, at the bottom of the White Sulphur Springs
exit ramp, had already flooded and we could not drive
through it. We got back on the interstate. As we drove
we could see water everywhere in White
Sulphur Springs. We found that another
interstate ramp had been partially washed
away. We turned around and headed back
to see if we could get into White Sulphur
Springs another way. From the interstate
we saw the devastation and felt completely
helpless. I could not get there to help.
I stayed in contact with Mark via cell
phones. Mark and others welcomed
about 20 people and about 10 pets into
Emmanuel UMC to stay that night and for
several more after that.
The hardest part for me was not being able
to get back into White Sulphur Springs to
help those in the community that God has
sent me to serve. I was at a loss of what to do. I’d had
disaster response and spiritual care training, but I could
not get to my people. It was not easy to go back home
and wait, not knowing who was safe or who wasn’t. A
lot of praying was going on that evening. It wasn’t until
late in the morning of the next day that I was able to get
into town to help.
In the days following, Emmanuel UMC served as a
distribution center for flood clean-up and a place of
hope, rest, and refuge for the people of White Sulphur
Springs.

THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WVUMC.ORG/DISASTER-RESPONSE

Volunteers sorting donations at Emmanuel UMC
People came from everywhere to help those in need, to
be an ear to hear their stories, a shoulder for people to
cry on, and a hope that they were not in this alone.
About a week and a half after the flood, a volunteer
shared with us that the Phillips family’s little girl was
still missing and they had no way for rescuers to contact
them with information. I asked to meet with them to
determine how we could help. Within an hour James
and Becky Phillips arrived at Emmanuel to share their
story.

Tragically, Mr. Phillips’ little girl, Mykala, was pulled
away from their human chain and lost in the rushing
waters.
The Phillips lost their home, their possessions, and their
little girl. The family was given a cell phone so that they
could stay in touch with the search-and-rescue efforts to
find Mykala.
I met with Mr. and Mrs. Phillips a second time several
weeks later. Mykala had not been found but crews were
still looking. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips and their youngest
son had come into the distribution center looking for
some clothing and other items. Mykayla’s little brother
found a pair of rubber boots. He said to his mother, “We
should get these for Mykayla. She will need these when
we find her.” My heart broke thinking, “It has been so
long.” Mrs. Phillips chuckled and said, “Those won’t
fit her. Her feet are bigger than mine.” Again my heart
broke. That was the last interaction I had with Mr. and
Mrs. Phillips.
Mykala was found Aug. 10 — 48 days after the flood —
and was buried Aug. 14. She was 14 years old.

In addition to their daughter Mykala, the Phillips’ have
two sons at home and a son in the Marine Corps. After
introductions were made and condolences shared, Mr.
Phillips told me of their ordeal. Mr. Phillips and his
children were at home on June 23. There had been some
chaos about whether to stay in the house or head for
higher ground. After a 911 operator told them it would
be safer to stay put because of downed power lines,
they chose to stay at the house. As the water began to
get closer Mr. Phillips and the children tied themselves
together with electrical cords so that they could stay
together better.
The water came crashing in as Mr. Phillips and the
children were making an escape through a window.
They somehow made it to a house at the end of their
street where they hung on to the porch for a long time.
As rocks and debris rushed towards them, Mr. Phillips
would turn himself towards the debris to protect the
children from it. Mr. Phillips sustained several broken
ribs and the loss of most of his teeth from the beating of
the debris. In the midst of all of this, he and his children
were hanging on to each other the best they could.

Mykayla Phillips tribute, White Sulphur Springs
Photo By: Sam Owens, Charleston Gazette-Mail
Shari Stilgenbauer is the pastor of the New Creation
Charge and may be reached at sharidawn2@yahoo.com.

“WE ARE A CHRIST-LED, SPIRITUAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD!”

7

Words are often inadequate for times such as these
By Rev. Melissa Shortridge, Greenbrier District Superintendent
I remember looking out the front door of my home in
Lewisburg on June 23 and seeing the water streaming
down Washington Street, not realizing that a short nine
miles away the water was roaring down the streets leaving
a path of destruction in my hometown, White Sulphur
Springs.
Unbelievable pictures began to appear on Facebook as
people helplessly watched in disbelief. The following
day, the reactions to the incomprehensible damage and
loss were varied. Many got busy doing anything in an
effort to help. Others were walking around in shock and
confusion wondering where to begin. Many who had
moved away made calls home wanting to know where
and what to send to help. Trucks full of supplies arrived to
be unloaded, things were sorted and organized, vehicles
were packed with the immediate items needed to begin
the clean-up, food trucks moved into town, and churches
opened their doors offering shelter and food. All good
and necessary things.
But it wasn’t until I visited a friend, whose daughter had
been stranded for hours on a roof top to escape the rushing waters, that I realized the damage went far beyond
material things. Many people had been stranded in trees,
attics, and vehicles fearing for their lives until rescuers
were able to reach them. The level of emotions the rushing waters left in their wake was just as inconceivable as
the property damage.
As I walked the streets and talked with people I had
known most of my life, my heart broke. How do you start
over when you have lost everything? Where do you even
begin? What do you say as you stand looking at all their
worldly possessions piled at the curb waiting to be hauled
to the landfill?
In the days that followed, when the sky would cloud up
and the rain would start, a sense of fear would begin to
well up. Could it happen again? Our community not
only mourned the loss of homes and possessions but we
also mourned the loss of loved ones swept away by the
raging waters. Each day, rescue and then recovery teams
searched for those still missing.
On August 10, 48 days after the flood, the body of
14-year-old Mykala Phillips, the last of the missing, was

8

found six miles from her home. The property damage was
astronomical but the emotional damage also took a great
toll.
Some asked, where was God? How could God allow this
to happen? There were many questions with no clear
answers. It soon became clear to me that words are often
inadequate for times such as these. It was more important
to listen, to be patient amid their frustrations, to lend a
helping hand, and to just be with them and let them know
they were not alone in their pain and struggles. Many
silent as well as audible prayers were shared, hugs were
given, and comforting words of encouragement were spoken. God’s presence was made evident in the outpouring
of support from thousands who came to the aid of those
hurting in White Sulphur Springs.
Now, a few are in newly built houses, some are back in
their homes with varying degrees of repair and many
are still displaced, renting or living with friends or family. Others have left the area. All are trying to find a new
normal.
The holidays were especially hard as folks were reminded
of what once was, the lost keepsake ornaments and decorations washed away, familiar traditions skipped this year,
those no longer here.
The thousand-year flash flood in White Sulphur Springs
is old news for many, but for those who are still living
through it, it’s still very real. The wounds and scars are
still visible. I pray the people of my home town will not be
forgotten as they continue to recover. There is still much
work to be done.

THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WVUMC.ORG/DISASTER-RESPONSE

Love comes through many different avenues
By Rev. Scott Ferguson

What a blessing it is to experience the power of God
at work in the midst of tragedy and disaster! This is
something I continue to experience since the flood
waters ravaged our Clendenin, W.Va., community.
I learned that even though one’s home may have been
spared, those that live here still felt the impact of the
flood as much as anyone else. I learned that people are
resilient and are willing to put their boots on and go to
work. I learned that love comes through many different
avenues.
A few days following the flood, I was pulling things
out of our house and helping coordinate work team
assignments. While I was walking down the street a
gentleman caught my attention and said, “Excuse me,
can you tell me where I can find the United Methodist
pastor?”
My response was, “You’re looking at him.” I probably
didn’t look much like a pastor with my boots, blue jeans,
cut-off T-shirt and mud from head to toe.

United Methodist connection at work first hand.
On another occasion, I shared a testimony with our
church about the prison work team that had been
helping clean up. One of our members stood up and
praised the Lord for them as well. She explained that
while they were loading debris from her home into
dump trucks, one of the inmates came up to her and
said, “Ma’am, I believe this belongs to you.” He had
found a piece of her jewelry in the garbage, cleaned it
up, and handed
it back to her.
This man had
compassion
upon a person
that had lost
everything,
and it became
a gesture of
Choir robes, Clendenin UMC,
kindness that
a visible reminder of the flood waters
was powerful
to the one who
received his gift. He blessed her with more than just
some of her jewelry, he gave her love and kindness.
The grace of God has been bountiful. We are very
thankful for the role you have played in helping us get
back on our feet.
May the Lord bless you!

Rev. Scott Ferguson talks about flood damage
with Bishop Steiner Ball
The man explained to me that he was from the Nashville
United Methodist Church in North Carolina and he
had 37 youth and adults who would like to set up in
our picnic shelter and help us clean the debris out of
the church. Not only did they help us, but they helped
numerous others throughout the area. I experienced our

Rev. Scott Ferguson is
pastor of the Clendenin
Charge and may be
reached at sfergus23@
yahoo.com.

“WE ARE A CHRIST-LED, SPIRITUAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD!”

9

Reflections on the flood
By Rev. Jonathan Dierdorff

As a pastor I expected to face trials and tribulations at
various times in ministry. I expected there to be ups and
downs, and I expected to walk through deep waters with
parishioners as they experienced personal crises. But
I never anticipated walking through deep waters with
entire communities devastated by a flood.
Shortly after the flood I was compelled to offer a
message of hope that I had personally internalized as a
pastoral leader: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power
is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12: 9, New
Revised Standard Version). My focus was on “sufficient
grace,” as opposed to “abundant grace.”

Melissa Shortridge, Bishop Sandra, UMCOR’s Cathy Earl
and Jonathan Dierdorff walk the Rainelle UMC property.
When we think of abundant grace, perhaps we think of
the poem “Footprints in the Sand,” when there are only
two footprints because we are being carried. I suggested
that with sufficient grace there are three footprints
— to illustrate when God leads us along as we limp.
Undoubtedly, most of us prefer abundant grace. But
sufficient grace reminds us that God does not simply
remove us from the flood waters, but calls us into an
extravagant partnership that allows us, in the words of
the late theologian Henri Nouwen, to serve as wounded
healers. Needless to say, it has been an incredibly

humbling experience and has been formative to my
practice of ministry.
I am very proud of both of the congregations I serve:
Bascom United Methodist Church in Rupert, W.Va.,
and Rainelle United Methodist Church in Rainelle,
W.Va. For the first two weeks after the flood, the
Bascom church functioned as a completely lay-led
rescue shelter, housing and feeding as many as 20
individuals, in addition to feeding dozens of response
workers. Additionally, through donations received
from outside sources, Bascom was able to distribute
$17,000 worth of building materials and household
items to individuals and families in the community
of Rupert. Others within the church worked tirelessly
collecting donations, managing the needs of people
in the community, and setting up places in town
to distribute cleaning supplies, toiletries, clothing,
heaters, furniture and other items.
Within a few days of the flood the Rainelle church
opened as the first distribution center in that area.
Many members and constituents were personally
affected by the flood, losing their homes and
businesses, but others stepped up to help unload
countless trucks, trailers, and cars filled with cleaning
supplies, food, and toiletries.
Shortly after the flood the Rainelle church decided
to partner with the United Methodist West Virginia
Conference and the United Methodist Committee on
Relief to house volunteers and work teams that would
be coming into the community to do early response
and long-term recovery. We designated the top floor of
the church building as a sleeping area and the trustees
and members of our congregation built two bathrooms
equipped with showers.

10 THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WVUMC.ORG/DISASTER-RESPONSE

While the bathrooms were being built, we were blessed
by the Greater New Jersey Conference, which loaned us a
very nice shower trailer that we parked at the back of our
building. The shower trailer allowed us to begin housing
groups within three weeks after the flood. It also allowed
members and persons in the community to come shower
and do laundry.
In addition to overseeing all that was happening (including
the rehabilitation of our fellowship hall which had
approximately nine inches of water after the flood), my
focus was coordinating work teams, helping assign them to
projects in the community, and finding them funding and
building supplies.
Like Bascom, the Rainelle church received many donations
from outside sources, adding up to almost $50,000.
Our church’s niche in the recovery process was mainly
purchasing sheetrock, and in several instances, insulation,
sub flooring, and paint. We took applications from dozens
of individuals and families in our community, and helped
flood victims by providing the quantity they requested.
As a measure of good stewardship and also evangelistic
opportunity, we assigned members of our congregation
to work as case managers to measure the property after
the application was turned in, and to make sure the
flooded area had been treated properly for mold and other
contaminants.
I continue to receive phone calls, text messages, emails,
and Facebook messages on a daily basis from groups that
want to come and serve or provide donations, in addition
to conference leaders and colleagues checking in, case
managers requesting more information, and relief agencies
asking if we can help families and individuals. The work is
not over, but we are thankful for the help, resources, and
sufficient grace that have gotten us this far.

Rainelle UMC - Before

Rainelle UMC - Rebuilding

Rev. Jonathan Dierdorff is the pastor of Meadow River
Charge and may be reached at jonathan.wvumc@gmail.com.

“WE ARE A CHRIST-LED, SPIRITUAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD!”

11

Forging ahead to a new day
By Rev. Melissa Shortridge

Melissa Shortridge with a White Sulphur Springs
home owner, and former youth group member.
White Sulphur Springs is a town of about 2,500 people
nestled in the Allegheny mountains. Many think of
wealth when they think of White Sulphur Springs
because it is the home of the world-famous Greenbrier
Resort. They picture the large white-pillared front
entrance of the resort or the beautiful homes and golf
courses that line both sides of Route 60 as you drive
into town. But the reality is, almost 30 percent of the
folks live in poverty.
A drive through Main Street shows empty store
fronts. There are few employment options. Most of
the residents are blue-collar workers employed by
the resort, many seasonally. Others drive to work at a
papermill 21 miles away in Covington, Va. They are
hardworking, honest, independent people. A large
portion of the residents are retired. Most of the youth
leave to find employment elsewhere.
The neighborhoods affected by the flood were made up
of modest homes. Many of the residents were retired.
Their wage-earning days are over, yet they found
themselves with little or nothing left. Thousands of
dollars have been poured into the community but I
am amazed at how many empty homes are still in the
hardest-hit neighborhoods. I suspect many will need
to be torn down. There are several vacant lots with
sunken areas where foundations once supported homes
and families. I wonder if the neighborhoods or the
town, for that matter, will ever recover.

Emmanuel United Methodist church is located one
block off Main Street and has had its share of struggles
over the last several years. In many ways it was in
survival mode and had become inward focused. But
the day after the flood that all changed! The doors
were opened, overnight shelter was provided, needed
supplies arrived and church volunteers worked day
and night to help those hurting and in need. Many
thousands of dollars have been distributed for flood
relief and the church has truly been the body of Christ
to their community. They are now housing work teams
coming to help with the rebuilding.
Even those not living in flooded neighborhoods
have found themselves adversely impacted. Several
businesses were closed for a period for clean-up and
repairs and some have not yet reopened. If it weren’t
for the help of friends, family and neighbors, as well
as good-hearted strangers, many residents of White
Sulphur Springs would still be homeless. Numerous
volunteers and church groups have come to help yet
many more are still needed.
The beauty of living is a small town is that everyone is
your neighbor. People have rallied together and pitched
in to help one another. “Neighbors helping neighbors”
became the motto. A group from Alvon United
Methodist Church called “The Grumpy Old Men” have
worked on several homes in the area. Many folks were
too proud to ask for help, but strangers showed up and
asked what needed to be done.
The hope is to rebuild White Sulphur Springs better
than ever but the reality is many will never fully
recover. But the hardworking folks of White Sulphur
Springs, with the help of friends, neighbors, and
good-hearted strangers, will forge ahead to a new day.
Thanks be to God!
Rev. Melissa Shortridge may be reached at
melissashortridge@gmail.com.

12 THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WVUMC.ORG/DISASTER-RESPONSE

Better Together
Cathy Earl, UMCOR Executive
Secretary US Disaster Response was
on site in West Virginia for three
days in early July. Cathy provides
ongoing advice and support to
the WV UMC Disaster Response
team. UMCOR grants in the
excess of $310,000 have allowed
the West Virginia Conference to
hire a director of recovery, 2 case
managers and 2 construction
supervisors. Additional grant
money is expected which will allow
the West Virginia Conference to
help people return to their homes
and communities.

Sue Lowther and UMCOR’s Cathy Earl

West Virginia’s twelve Career
Technical Education centers built
15 tiny homes for flood victims.
The students built the homes from
the ground up in a program that
gives students life long learning
experiences in building trades
as well as generosity. The West
Virginia Conference is providing
the funding to place the homes
and hook up utilities with grants
of up to $5,000 per home.

Mike DuBose, photographer
with the United Methodist
News Service, was on the
ground in West Virginia within
4 days of the June 23rd flood.
Mike toured the disaster area
with Asst. to the Bishop, JF
Lacaria, capturing photos of
the region. These photos are
being used in West Virginia
as well as across the United
Methodist connection to tell
our story of hope.

The United Methodist Foundation of West Virginia is
providing a grant in the amount of $300,000 for long-term
recovery of our West Virginia Conference churches damaged
by the floods of 2016. Clendenin United Methodist Church
received a portion for the recovery of their fellowship hall.
Photographed (LtoR) Jack Lipphardt, Jeff Taylor, JF Lacaria
and Scott Ferguson at Clendenin United Methodist Church.

“WE ARE A CHRIST-LED, SPIRITUAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD!”

13

Flood-damaged church buildings are in various stages of repair
By JF Lacaria (Editor’s Note: This update was prepared in mid-December 2016)
• At Emmanuel UMC in White Sulphur Springs
a mold problem has been corrected and drywall
replacement and painting are underway. New
carpet has been installed in hallways following the
wear and tear they experienced while the church
was used as a distribution center. Corrections are
beginning to be made to the exterior drainage
system to help protect the church from future
flooding.
• Clendenin UMC has made a complete recovery
at the parsonage. At the church, major damage
to electricity, HVAC, mold mitigation, and the
removal of all basement interior walls including
replacing interior load-bearing walls with new steel
structure has been completed. The walls are being
reestablished in the basement. New bathrooms
with showers are planned so the church can house
work teams. Complete replacement of the kitchen
is beginning.
• Rainelle UMC are able to use all parts of their
building, but the basement floor covering still
needs to be installed. The lower walls and base
cabinets in the kitchen need replaced and minor
repairs are needed. Rainelle has installed showers
on an upper floor so the church can house work
teams in the future recovery of the community.
• Bethel UMC is located in Camden-on-Gauley,
where the Gauley River crossed the highway,
climbed the hill and entered the sanctuary. The
sanctuary is being rebuilt with new floor, new
walls and insulation, HVAC, electrical service
and carpet. The church worships and serves the
community out of the fellowship hall, which was
just high enough to escape damage.
• Fenwick UMC, in the low lands west of Richwood,
lost their basement and kitchen. They need to
begin all the work to restore Sunday School rooms,
kitchen, cabinets and appliances, bathroom and
fellowship hall. They have lots of work still before
them. Some external supports that hold up the
altar extension have been replaced.
• The basement level of Barton UMC, in Webster
Springs, Greenbrier District, was completely filled
with water. All repairs have been completed and
the church is using all of its building again. They
need to replace all of the educational materials that

were lost in the flood — a need that will be met
with a gift from the United Methodist Foundation
of West Virginia, Inc.
• Rolling Hills UMC, near the Amma Exit of
Interstate 79, reports that all is back to normal,
having installed a new floor in the sanctuary.
• Wallback UMC has a new hardwood floor in place
in their sanctuary. The structure under this floor is
also new and/or reinforced. They have some minor
restoration still to do.
• Burkes Chapel, at Kings Shoal on the Elk River,
just ¼ mile from the bridge that has been
decommissioned for the time being, near Bomont,
has replaced their sanctuary floor with a new
poured floor, and they are completing minor
repairs to their church.
• Alderson UMC reports that all their needed repairs
are complete and they are worshiping and meeting
in all the church facilities, living in their new
normal.
• Repairs from the flood have been made at
McClung UMC. The furnace, located outside the
church in a furnace room, has been replaced and
elevated to protect it from future flooding. The
church planned to host the charge-wide Christmas
service and was excited that everyone would be
coming there for the service.
• Follansbee UMC, Northern District, was flooded
in July, less than 30 days after the June rains in the
south. They have restored their basement area but
need to rebuild their kitchen. Long-term recovery
is working with the church trustees to install a
temporary kitchen in the basement so they can
take up their ministries again. In the meantime,
they are working with the Northern District
Board of Church Location and Building to explore
building a fellowship hall with kitchen on property
next to the church but away from the path of future
flooding.
West Virginia Resident Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball has
assigned her assistant, JF Lacaria, to devote his time
fully to assessing the flood and developing a response
plan. He can be reached at JLacaria@wvumc.org.

14 THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WVUMC.ORG/DISASTER-RESPONSE

A letter of thanks from
Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball
Dear Friends and members of the West Virginia Conference,
On June 23, 2016, storms brought terrible floods to much of West Virginia. Twenty-three people lost
their lives. More than 1,400 homes were destroyed and more than 2,300 had substantial damage. A total
of 1,200 businesses asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for assistance.
I praise God for your response to this catastrophic event! Your prayers, work teams, and financial gifts
of $1.4 million have made and continue to make a difference. Your love is being felt by families who
thought they had lost everything – and then they experienced and received the help and hope they
needed because of your generosity.
Your prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness continue to be greatly needed by the areas affected by
the floods. The West Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church is at the center of leadership
in this recovery process.We are partnering with the United Methodist Committee on Relief, UMCOR;
the West Virginia Council of Churches; and other agencies and recovery organizations to help make sure
that every single one of God’s beloved children get help in the process of being restored to wholeness and
resurrected to a life where they have what they need, not only to survive,
but to experience joy.
Please know that our work in not yet complete. Hundreds of people still
need our help to recover and to claim new life. I pray that you may be able
and willing to continue to be the healing, reconciling, loving, life-giving
and life-changing presence of Christ for the people of West Virginia and
the world.
Peace,
Sandra Steiner Ball
Resident Bishop, West Virginia Conference

“WE ARE A CHRIST-LED, SPIRITUAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD!”

15

Depot plays key role in disaster response
By Rev. Dan Lowther and Rev. Sue Lowther
New Vision Depot is one of the newest additions to the
West Virginia Annual Conference’s Disaster Response
Ministries.
Since we were elected the conference’s disaster response
co-coordinators in 2008, we have held a vision to have a
substantial building to house disaster response supplies
and equipment. Having this complex would keep muchneeded supplies at the ready in the event of a disaster
and provide a central location to dispatch much-needed
help to disaster survivors. One central location would
also help provide accountability to donors.
In June 2015, John Zilinski, director of the Raleigh
County Office of Emergency Management, and Mark
Wilson, the office’s deputy director, approached the West
Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster,
VOAD, about some property the office had acquired
in Beaver, W.Va. John and Mark had a dream: that the
property would become a regional disaster response
center for Southern West Virginia. They invited West
Virginia VOAD member agencies to become a part
of that vision. (Member agencies include the United
Methodist Committee on Relief, UMCOR). Following
this presentation we expressed interest in establishing a
warehouse on the property.

Joe Kenaston and Ray Stonestreet
verifying flood buckets
In October 2015 we toured the property with JF
Lacaria, assistant to West Virginia Resident Bishop
Sandra Steiner Ball, and Joe Kenaston, superintendent
of the Southern District of the West Virginia Annual
Conference, and began negotiations to occupy a
6,000-square-foot building. This was the birth of New
Vision Depot.

In July 2016 we were appointed to churches in the
Wyoming County, West Virginia, area and appointed
directors of the depot. All of this occurred in God’s time
as the flooding came on June 23, 2016.
The New Vision Depot
became vital during flood
relief efforts. The days
following the flooding
many volunteers from the
Southern District gave
greatly of their time, energy,
and resources to get the
depot up and operational.
Flood buckets were
inspected and assembled.
Health kits were readied. A
total of 2,500 flood buckets
Dan Lowther and
and 2,000 health kits were
Bishop Sandra at New
delivered from the depot to
Vision Depot
survivors in the early days
following the flood. Goods
came into the depot from all over the West Virginia
Conference, as well as from Virginia, North Carolina,
Georgia, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Ohio and
other states. These goods were sorted, inventoried,
packaged, and sent out to the affected areas.
The New Vision Depot continues to assist with the
recovery from this historic flood and is preparing for
future disasters. We need your continued support
to keep this vital tool in operation. You can help by
donating your prayers, time and monies. Volunteer
groups are welcome to come and prepare supplies.
Money is needed to maintain the cost of operation;
Prayers are needed for guidance, strength and
endurance. Thank you.
Rev. Dan Lowther and Rev. Sue Lowther are Directors at
the New Vision Depot and may be reached at dclowther@
gmail.com or wsuelowther@gmail.com.

16 THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WVUMC.ORG/DISASTER-RESPONSE

A little church with a big heart
By Rev. David Stilgenbauer

From the first church I ever served I have heard and
even said, “Everything is made for the big church. There
is nothing we can do. We are a small church.” That is
until I had the privilege of serving Elizabeth Chapel
(average worship attendance: 36) on the Ronceverte
Charge in the Greenbrier District of West Virginia.
From the first time I set foot in this church I knew
there was something different. Let me share with you
the heart and passion I have seen in serving Elizabeth
Chapel.
First, you need to know
the church, like so many
others that are small rural
churches, is beautiful.
The church sets on a hill
with rolling mountains
all around. Many times I
have stood in the parking
lot and admired the
beauty of the setting.
Elizabeth Chapel UMC
But the true beauty can
be seen on the inside. It is not the carpet or big fancy
lights or even the stained glass windows — it is the
people. They have a heart for mission and ministry.
This little country church hosts a clothing giveaway
twice a month. This is made possible because the
church is willing to go wherever necessary to gather
clothing and other supplies. People have gone as far as
Mechanicsburg, Pa., (309 miles from Ronceverte)and
Boone, N.C. (181 miles away). The church has sent folks
on mission trips to Haiti as well as other Volunteers in
Mission trips. Oh and lest I forget, they pay 100 percent
of their apportionments. This is a church that is always
looking for ways to be active in ministry.
I am sure you can tell this is a healthy and vital church.
But it was not until the June flooding that I fully
understood how deeply this church cares about being
faithful to the Gospel message. The first week after the

flood the discussion began: “What can we do to help?”
After much discussion, the decision was made to make
a $10,000 donation to the conference to aid in flood
recovery. As the pastor of this small country church I
must say it was a great joy, not because of the amount of
the donation, rather because it was the church. I did not
even have to ask. It was the church that came up with
the idea and the amount.
So, if you are worshiping in a small
country church or serving a small
country church and have heard that
“everything is for the big church,”
don’t let that stop you. A church is
not defined by how many people
are sitting in the pews or how many
programs it has up and running.
A church, to me at least, is defined
by how it is making disciples of
Jesus Christ. I know not all small
churches have the ability to make a
large donation for anything even if
they want to. But, if I have learned
anything from serving at Elizabeth Chapel, it is not to
let numbers tell you what you can do. Let God lead you
in what you are called to do.
In conclusion, I am honored to be the pastor at both
Elizabeth Chapel and Trinity in Ronceverte, WV. I will
never look at a small church the same again. It is not
the size of the church that matters. It is the God that we
serve. In other words, it is about keeping the main thing
the main thing. Never let “the System” tell you what you
can and cannot do. Every church, big or small, can be a
church with a big heart.
Rev. David Stilgenbauer, Ronceverte Charge, may be
reached at revdaves@yahoo.com.

“WE ARE A CHRIST-LED, SPIRITUAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD!”

17

A pastor’s perspective
By Rev. Rick Brown

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in
you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your
wings until the disaster has passed. Psalm 57:1
Many lives were forever changed in June when flood
waters swept through Greenbrier County and much of
the state of West Virginia.
I am no stranger to floods. I’ve lived a lifetime in West
Virginia — including southern West Virginia, where
I witnessed the destruction unleashed by massive
amounts of water and mud as they tore through homes
and lives during the 1972 Buffalo Creek flood (that
disaster, caused by a coal waste dam collapse, killed
125 people, injured 1,000 and demolished or partially
destroyed 17 communities). Those memories rose
quickly in my mind as I waded through mud in 2016,
having witnessed the blank stares on many faces years
before. It is still a vivid event in my childhood to have
witnessed so many friends and neighbors lose all they
had in the blink of an eye.The pain, the tears, the agony
of saying goodbye is just as real today as it was 45 years
ago.
Twenty three people lost their lives in the June 2016
floods and our communities were sent reeling from the
pain. As I told the congregation at Lewisburg United
Methodist Church the following Sunday morning, “We
can only be knocked down as far as our knees.” The
Spirit of God took charge and I witnessed the power of
the Holy Spirit move mightily in the minds and hearts
of both the victims and those called to action. The
Lewisburg church (annual operating budget: $560,000)
responded immediately that morning with a $15,000
offering to minister to those affected. The cumulative
total has since grown to more than $60,000.
While Lewisburg was mostly spared from devastating
floods, the folks at Lewisburg United Methodist
Church stepped up, shovels in hand, to offer assistance
in the midst of the destruction that had occurred a few

miles away. By Friday, June 25, we were assembling
a work crew to help people get back on their feet.
Supplies and funds poured in from all over the
country. People that had been long removed from
Greenbrier County were generous to their hometown.

“Surely the presence of God was in
this place as God’s love was revealed
with shovels and hammers.”

The work team from Lewisburg United Methodist
Church mucked out a total of about twenty-five
houses, one funeral home and one church in White
Sulphur Springs, Caldwell, and Rainelle over the
next month. With every shovel of mud, I could see
the presence of God’s Grace lifting people out of
their despair. When possible, we identified home
owners and offered prayers as they watched their life’s
possessions torn apart and placed in the streets.
In the earliest days we were on the scene before
agencies that organize help had arrived to identify
particular jobs. We went to acquaintances of church
members where the members knew help was needed.
As time passed the operation became more organized.

Lewisburg UMC work team
Photo by: Greenbrier Photography

18 THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WVUMC.ORG/DISASTER-RESPONSE

Thankfully, before the flooding occurred the West
Virginia Annual Conference leadership had nearly
completed the New Vision Depot, the conference’s
warehouse and disaster response hub in Beaver, W.Va.
A big thank you to West Virginia Bishop Sandra
Steiner Ball, Rev. Dan Lowther, Rev. Sue Lowther, Rev.
Dave Stilgenbauer, Rev. Shari Stilgenbauer, JF Lacaria
(assistant to Bishop Steiner Ball) and many more
pastors and staff around our conference. In nearly 25
years of ministry in the United Methodist Church, I
have never experienced the “Blessed Connection” as
was present during this time of distress.

Photo by: Greenbrier Photography
The people called Methodists reached out from all
over the country with their prayers and support. Work
teams arrived, sleeves rolled up, tools in hand, ready to
work. One of the most awe-inspiring parts of the story
was the connection I felt around our own conference.
My pastor colleagues around the state were reaching
out with love, prayers and their support. The glory
of God was marvelously experienced as we worked
together, reaching out to hurting people. Thank You
Jesus!
We were sent to a house on Greenbrier Street in
Rainelle. This home had been vacant since the widow’s
death in 2015 but the house had not been emptied
of its contents. Two grown children were mourning
not only their mother’s death but the destruction of
many things of sentimental value, including family
photographs.

Jeannie Wyatt, who operates a professional
photography company with her husband, gathered
photos from the home and offered to restore them
and get them back to the family. The family was so
appreciative of this opportunity to have their memories
restored.
The Wyatt family — members of the Lewisburg United
Methodist Church — donated their time and talents
and ended up restoring thousands of pictures for
Greenbrier County families that lost so much.
On the same street, I noticed what had been a
beautiful ranch-style home with furniture stacked up
on the street. This home was owned by a 92-year-old
couple. The man said, “I watched a lifetime of work
and accumulation destroyed in a few minutes.” His
grown daughter was visibly upset as she witnessed her
childhood memories destroyed. The elderly couple did
not plan on rebuilding or returning to Rainelle to live.
There are many more heart-wrenching stories like
those above. The late radio broadcaster Paul Harvey
used to say, “The only difference between a tragedy
and an opportunity is your point of view.” Or as the
Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:28:

“And we know that in all things
God works for the good of those
who love him, who have been called
according to his purpose.”
This tragedy was clearly an opportunity for the love
and grace of God to shine forth in the midst of the
destruction. And brightly the light of God did shine
and continues to shine as ministry and work continues
to this day helping people get back to normal.
Rev. Rick Brown is pastor of the Lewisburg Charge and
may be reached at rbrown9888@aol.com.

“WE ARE A CHRIST-LED, SPIRITUAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD!”

19

Spiritual care for people facing a new reality
By Rev. Cheryl George
When the flood waters began to recede, a group of
One of the things that Jim and Heather noticed was
people began the important work of emergency spiritual the difference in the areas where they worked. In the
care for people who were facing a new reality.
Clendenin and Elkview area, it seemed like everyone
was coming together to help each other. But Richwood
Rev. Jeff Allen, executive director of the West Virginia
felt disjointed and there were many suffering with
Council of Churches, along with Rev. Amy Shanholtzer,
frustration and misunderstandings involving the
the West Virginia United Methodist Conference’s
Federal Emergency Management Agency and other
director of evangelism and congregational development, programs. Richwood was already suffering due to high
began the task of bringing people who were trained in
unemployment and the drug problems that are ravaging
spiritual care to the places where it was needed.
our state. The scale of the disaster created an even
larger depression in the community. People had even
There were “first in” teams who made themselves
greater worries after the flood. Spiritual care was as an
available and made sure people had things they needed
important a need as food and water.
in the immediate short-term. Others worked with
agencies to provide door-to-door needs surveys. Jim and Jim and Heather met many people whose stories were
Heather Rogers of Capon Bridge, W.Va., in the Potomac sad and overwhelming. In some cases their task was to
Highlands District, were among those who spent time in just listen to the story — spiritual care involves a great
the Elkview/Clendenin and Richwood areas.
deal of listening and spending time to hear the pain and
distress of others. In some cases their task was to provide
Jim, who is a layperson, and Heather, a certified lay
a means to get help.
minister appointed to the Mathias, W.Va.,
Charge in the Potomac Highlands District,
One
accepted the call immediately. They spent
afternoon
nearly three weeks in the areas. It was a
the Rogers
life-changing adventure for them. They had
spoke for
not had any previous experience in disaster
two hours
work or mass casualty. It was eye-opening.
with a
Their ventures took them to remote areas
disabled
of Clay County where people had put trash
man who
cans in the road to mark sink holes that had
lived
opened because of erosion caused by the
through
flood. They worked out of the call center
a horrific
at Mt. Tabor United Methodist Church
ordeal. The
Heather and Jim Rogers
in Elkview where Janet Kelly, Catholic
man and
Charities’ West Virginia disaster relief
his wife had
director, was receiving requests and dispatching people
driven their van as far up a hill as they could, only to
to meet those needs. They were sent to help people
sit and watch the flood waters swirl around their home.
who were in immediate emotional distress and used
The man wondered out loud, “Why is God keeping me
the connection to get help for a lady who was feeling
here?” As he and his wife struggled to recover, he needed
suicidal.
someone to pray with him, to hear his pain, and to share
hope with him.

20 THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WVUMC.ORG/DISASTER-RESPONSE

Before the Rogers left home, some people gave them
money to be used to help people in whatever way was
needed. They had tried to spend the money at a local
home improvement store before they left but a customer
gave a donation that covered their purchases. During
their their work they stopped at one of the Red Cross
shelters and found that pillows were needed. Jim and
Heather went to Charleston and purchased as many
pillows as their money would buy and brought them
back to the shelter. The money that came from their
hometown provided pillows to people who had so little.
Because of their Spiritual Care Team work, they were
able to help provide for this need.
The Rogers viewed this as a life-changing experience.
The physical and emotional toll on the people of the
communities as well as all those in service was great.
There were some who were on a continuous cycle
of work and the Rogers were able to listen, pray and
offer support. At Mt. Tabor, they slept in a classroom
with other care workers, including Therapy Dogs
International dogs. The service dogs were absorbing the
emotional pain of the people of the community and at
night the dogs were exhausted and crying. Their spiritual
care work was important and consuming. Heather and
Jim were able to help provide a safe place for the workers
and dogs to unwind and to laugh.

While working in Richwood, Ruth Ann Elliott, a
member of the Jordan Chapel United Methodist Church
in Canvas, offered her mother’s house for Spiritual Care
Team members to stay. This became an important retreat
for the team as members could get a good night’s sleep, a
shower, and time away from the disaster to recharge for
the next day’s work.
When asked what they would tell others who volunteer
as Spiritual Care Team members, the Rogers encouraged
volunteers to be ready for the hard times. They felt like
they were more blessed than the blessing that they were
to others. They said: “Be prepared to change. You can
never be prepared no matter how much book learning
you have had. Always be prepared for the unexpected.
Nothing could have prepared us for the emotional toll.
You may think you are prepared but until you get hands
on you are not and each situation is different.”
For the Rogers the toughest part was leaving! They
wanted to continue to help.
The West Virginia Spiritual Care Team is a joint effort
of the West Virginia Council of Churches. For more
information on training and volunteering, visit the
Council of Churches website at http://www.wvcc.org/
disaster-response.html.
Rev. Cheryl George is the pastor of The Aurora Charge and
may be reached at pastorcheryl@frontier.com.

Heather Rogers and Evelina met this summer at a local fast food
restaurant where Evelina, a sweet, spit-fire of a woman was waiting
to find out if the home she and her husband (whom she lost 14 years
ago) built will be torn down. Evelina’s home was undermined by
water pouring down the mountain during the June 23rd flood.

“WE ARE A CHRIST-LED, SPIRITUAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD!”

21

The need was critical, the response was
By Fred and Scarlett Kellerman

overwhelming

Unbelievable! That was the reaction as heavy rain
One example of outside generosity came from a large
continued for the third day in Greenbrier County and
law firm in San Diego, Calif., which chose to remain
the water began to reach flood level. Wellspring of
anonymous. This firm had past business dealings
Greenbrier, Inc., a nonprofit established to assist the
in West Virginia and felt the need to respond to the
working poor, homeless and others living on the edge in
circumstances. After several calls, the firm sent a
Greenbrier County, W.Va., was hosting a work team from corporate check to Wellspring for flood relief. The check
New Jersey. They were getting worried, with good cause!
was more than double the amount of any single donation
As the rain continued it became evident that our area was ever previously received by Wellspring. It was simply
experiencing a catastrophic event in what experts have
astounding! Since that time, there have been several
labeled “a thousand-year flood.”
donations in excess of
five figures, all given to
The Wellspring Center in
assist the flood victims.
Rupert, W.Va. — a safe day
haven where basic needs are
Working to tear out
met — became a shelter for
contaminated materials
16 people for two days. Roads
and to clean and
were blocked in all directions
reconstruct houses has
and the obvious questions
resulted in some of the
were 1) When are we going
most meaningful work
to be rescued, and 2) How
ever performed by the
much damage is our area
Wellspring volunteers.
facing? The answers to these
questions came rather quickly:
We have determined
Scarlett
Kellerman
shares
vision
of
We escaped after two days and
that the average cost
Wellspring Ministries with Bishop Sandra.
the area was decimated beyond
to reconstruct a floodbelief!
damaged house is
slightly in excess of $5,000.This figure seems low but
Wellspring continues to provide assistance to those
when considering that most of the houses are small
affected, many of whom were struggling before the flood. and reconstructed with volunteer labor, the cost of
With such demand for help, particularly from those
reconstruction is in line.
who lost everything, the need for outside provisions
was critical — and the response was overwhelming.
Additionally, Wellspring has been blessed by being able to
Volunteers with food, clothes, building materials and,
utilize existing programs to assist families and individuals
most importantly, labor, came from all over the country.
in returning to their renovated homes. Furniture,
Of course, all of this takes money . . . and wow, did the
appliances, bedding, bath and kitchen ware, toiletries
money ever come.
and household goods of every description have been
provided. The Wellspring Center has also served many
Fortunately, the reputation of Wellspring, having assisted families with much-needed clothing, both summer and
the poor and disadvantaged for over 12 years, made it
winter wear.
a natural target for those wishing to donate funds to be
used in flood recovery efforts.

22 THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WVUMC.ORG/DISASTER-RESPONSE

As the flooded areas recover physically and
environmentally, Wellspring continues, as it has
since 2004, to serve those who suffer both mentally
and spiritually, endeavoring to assist all who are
traumatized by events beyond their control. The prayer
room is always open and Jesus is always present.

“What is your need?” “What is your plan?” and “How
can we help?” Our goal is to send everyone out with a
prayer, a plan, and a lot of hope in their hearts!

Wellspring’s volunteers are loyal, talented, and devoted
with the interest of the “Beloved Community” (those
living in poverty, those disenfranchised, the disabled
and the working poor of Greenbrier County) first in
their hearts. Jesus asked us to feed the poor and so we
do, serving over 1,000 meals per month.
Most of the food is prepared and packaged at the
Lewisburg United Methodist Church and other area
churches, then distributed at the Wellspring Center.
The center is usually buzzing with events, from children
in the play and activity area to people doing their
laundry to people visiting.
In addition, classes like “Eating Right and Staying Fit”
are frequently taught by the West Virginia University
Extension Service. One class, titled “Stress Less,” has
been especially welcome in the aftermath of the flood.
The volunteer office staff takes over 100 calls and
welcomes more than 200 strangers and friends a month
with refreshments and help. The standard questions are,

Pausing for a moment: Cathy Earl, UMCOR, Dan
Lowther, Fred Kellerman, JF Lacaria, Bishop Sandra
and Scarlett Kellerman
We recognize that Greenbrier County, as well as the
other affected areas, will be in long- term recovery for
years to come. With this in mind, Wellspring stands
ready to offer whatever assistance is needed to bring
some degree of normalcy back to the lives of our
neighbors. May God’s mercy be with us all.
Fred and Scarlett Kellerman, directors of The Wellspring
Center, may be reached at wellspring@suddenlinkmail.

"For I was hungry and you
gave me food, I was thirsty
and you gave me drink...
truly I tell you, just as you did
it to one of the least of these....
you did it to me.
Matthew 25:35-40
Wellspring Ministries, Rupert, W.Va.

“WE ARE A CHRIST-LED, SPIRITUAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD!”

23

Too tough to be kept down by a flood
By Jim Justice
(Editor’s Note: Jim Justice, the owner of The Greenbrier
Resort, was elected Governor of West Virginia in
November 2016).
Nothing can compare to the 1,000-year flood that
ripped through our state last June taking lives and
destroying homes in its wake. It left a giant scar on
West Virginia; one that we must never forget.
Seeing the destruction was heartbreaking, but West
Virginians are a resilient people. We are just too tough
to be kept down by a flood. I saw neighbors helping
one another clean up immediately after the water
retreated. Folks with almost nothing left were giving
what little they had to help others get back on their
feet.
Many people have patted me on the back after the
flood to say thanks for opening up The Greenbrier
to hundreds of people impacted by the flood. I did
exactly what I should have done; what any of us
would have done. That’s just who we are as West
Virginians. We take care of one another. I don’t
deserve any special credit.

started rising, Ronnie told his wife to take the car
to high ground and he would take the kids to safety.
The car got to high ground but the wife went back in
the house. She called Ronnie on her cell phone and
told him that she was trapped inside the house. The
water kept rising. Ronnie kept trying to make his way
back to the house to help his wife. All of a sudden she
smells natural gas. The next thing Ronnie hears is an
explosion. His wife was blown through the roof, and
70 percent of her body was burned. Sadly we lost her a
few days later.
That story and many others will stick with me forever.
Since the flood, he’s been working on rebuilding his
life. He’s back running the game clock at Greenbrier
East High School. Our charity, Neighbors Loving
Neighbors, has stepped up to build new homes that
were washed away. I’m proud we were able to help
Ronnie and grateful that so many organizations have
been involved in the recovery effort.

I’m proud of the fact that The Greenbrier was
able to provide warm beds, hot meals, and cold
showers to people who were forced from their
homes by the flood. As the hot water came back
on, our amazing staff was able to give swimming
lessons to the kids and show movies in the
theater. It was the very least we could do.
Our state lost good people in the flood, and
we must continue to pray for the families who
tragically lost loved ones.
Ronnie Scott lives in White Sulphur Springs
and keeps the clock at every one of the home
basketball games I coach. He’s an unassuming
guy who never asks for anything. As the water

Ronnie Scott (left) and Jim Justice (right)

24 THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WVUMC.ORG/DISASTER-RESPONSE

Helping kids is a big part of who I am. Neighbors
Loving Neighbors was able to restore the Big Red
Gym in Richwood. Fixing that gym allowed both high
school basketball teams to practice and play games in
the community. Without the gymnasium, Richwood
players would have been forced to drive a long distance
to Summersville for practices and games. It’s a small
step, but an important step to bringing back that
community.
Looking forward, we must stay focused on rebuilding
the areas of our state ravaged by the flood. We’ve got
to do what we can to help all of our neighbors get
their lives back as much as possible. For many West
Virginians hit by the flood, things will never be the
same.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Big Red Gym
in Richwood, W.Va.

West Virginia is lucky to have church groups and other
religious organizations ready to step up when disaster strikes. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank
the West Virginia United Methodist Conference for all they’ve done for the flood recovery.
I’ve been blessed in my life, and I feel a responsibility to give back. Each of us can do something for others.
Even just a friendly smile or a warm meal goes a long way.
*****

These young women are part
of a Mennonite Disaster
Service work team from
West Virginia, Ohio and
Pennsylvania.
Dan Lowther, UMCOR’s
Cathy Earl, Bishop Sandra
Steiner Ball, and Greenbrier
District Superintindent
Melissa Shortridge paused to
share stories and gave thanks
for ecumenical partnerships.
White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

“WE ARE A CHRIST-LED, SPIRITUAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD!”

25

Giving and Receiving
By Rev. Karen Tate
The main building of Bethel United Methodist Church,
A van unexpectedly showed up from a hotel in
which stands on the main street of Camden-on-Gauley, Pennsylvania with much-desired sheets, towels and
W.Va. sustained significant damage in the Thursday,
washcloths (the van driver told us they had to donate or
June 23 flood.
dispose of any linens with even a small stain on them).
More assistance came from Summersville Memorial
Water filled the small basement and reached two feet
UMC and the Summersville Cooperative Parish.
high in the sanctuary, damaging
floors and walls, tipping over pews,
Bethel’s kitchen saw considerable use.
flooding baseboard heaters and
The refrigerator was well stocked with
electrical outlets, and leaving behind
cold bottled water for thirsty relief
a uniform coating of brown mud.
workers and residents. After the Red
Cross left the area, an assortment
The attached fellowship hall was
of town leaders and church groups,
miraculously spared any harm, and
working in that little kitchen, patched
the church quickly started gathering
together another week’s worth of hot
items to help the residents. By
meals for the community and the
Friday evening the first donations
work teams.
of clothing and bottled water
were ready, and early Saturday the
In the midst of the flood relief, Bethel
congregation opened the hall to
resumed Sunday services in that
begin giving what they had to the
same fellowship hall, using salvaged
neighbors.
and donated Bibles and hymnals.
The summer lunch program, started
Word spread quickly that Bethel was
for Camden area children before the
a distribution center and donations
flood, continued with barely a hitch,
Bethel UMC
started to pour in. Food, water,
despite the fact that the program
Rev. Karen Tate
toiletries, cleaning supplies, and
coordinator was temporarily housed
other essentials were received, sorted,
about 24 miles away.
and distributed from that small 28-foot by 20-foot
fellowship hall. At the same time, work teams stripped
More than one person, after the flood, said that the
ruined paneling, pew cushions, insulation, heaters, and
fellowship hall was spared for a reason. Perhaps that is
other damaged items from the sanctuary, and started
so. It is clear that the Lord enabled Bethel to make the
removing the thick coating of mud from the floor.
best use of the undamaged space it still had. The church
remained strong in mission and ministry, drawing on
Several Bethel members had damaged or destroyed
the faith and work of the congregation and the power of
houses. Yet they did all they could to help their
our Methodist connection.
community. Other volunteers came from Trinity United
Methodist Church in Cowen, W.Va., and St. Luke’s in
The hectic weeks of flood relief have transitioned
Craigsville, W,Va., to help sort and distribute supplies.
into the long years of recovery and there is still some
Trinity members were particularly adept at rounding up restoration work to finish in Bethel’s sanctuary. Yet there
much-needed can openers, larger sizes of diapers, and
is no doubt, in Camden on Gauley, that Bethel UMC is
new socks and underwear. Flood buckets soon arrived
alive and fruitful in the Lord’s work. May it continue!
from the New Vision Depot, the conference’s warehouse
and disaster response hub.
Rev. Karen Tate, Camden/Cowen/Halo Charge, may be
reached at ktate86@hotmail.com.

26 THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WVUMC.ORG/DISASTER-RESPONSE

An awesome display of
By Rev. Stewart Cottrell

love and grace

Our church family has experienced grace in so many
ways since the June floods. God’s grace was present
from the very moment I drove to Clay, W.Va.

The fact that the members of the
Wallback United Methodist Church
still had church under their outside
shelter the very first Sunday after the
flood showed their dedication.

When we arrived at Wallback that Sunday afternoon
the family of a Baptist pastor in Gassaway, W.Va., was
cleaning mud out of the church.
Numerous groups helped repair the church at Rolling
Hills so we could have services again, including
missionary groups that helped replace drywall.

worked all day taking up the floor at Wallback United
Methodist Church. It was awesome to see the love
and grace shown through all the hard work those folk
showed to their fellow brothers and sisters in Clay
County. It took several Saturdays, but now there is
a brand new floor at Wallback and our church looks
better than it did before the flood.
I’d also like to mention the outpouring of financial
help to the churches. Here’s what a couple of
neighborhood kids did to show grace: A day or so
after the flood they had a lemonade stand and gave
all of the money they made to the Wallback United
Methodist Church. What a blessing and a show of
grace that was.

Wallback UMC

One of the biggest examples of grace came from the
West Virginia Conference and John Jarrett of Jarrett
Construction Services, Charleston, W.Va. John and
JF Lacaria, assistant to West Virginia Bishop Sandra
Steiner Ball, led a group of about 50 people from
John’s company and JF’s home church, Cross Lanes
United Methodist. They came on a Saturday and

The conference and district were a big help, as
well. And the Humphreys Foundation, an entity
administered by the Midland South District of the
West Virginia Conference, donated $4,000 to each
church.
Rev. Stewart Cottrell is pastor of the Mountain Charge
and may be reached at stewcottrell40@gmail.com.

“WE ARE A CHRIST-LED, SPIRITUAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD!”

27

Richwood rebuilding
By Rev. Dr. Jay P. Cook

The June 2016 flood changed many communities in
West Virginia including Richwood. I want to first
give thanks to the West Virginia United Methodist
Conference and the United Methodist Committee on
Relief, UMCOR. Without the immediate response from
the United Methodist Church the heading above would
not be “rebuilding” but “recovering.”
I have witnessed the assistance of work teams from
United Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian churches and
others too numerous to recall. Volunteers from The
House of the Carpenter, Inc., (a conference Advance
Special mission project in Wheeling, W.Va., 217 miles
from Richwood) were here immediately to assist in the
cleanup efforts; special thanks to Executive Director Rev.
Dr. Michael Linger and his teams.
Richwood was struggling economically before the
flood. Foodland, the community’s only supermarket,
had already left town. Dollar General, one of the few
remaining businesses that sold groceries, was flooded.
So were the middle and high schools.

Bishop Sandra surveys damage with Jay Cook
Also hit by the flood was the Richwood Pantry, a
community organization mobilized to alleviate suffering
and break the cycles of poverty in eastern Nicholas
County by providing food, clothing and emergency
shelter to area residents. There are approximately 425
households in a database for the pantry and a newly
begun Farmers Market. Before the flood the pantry
assisted a little over 200 people a week with food,
clothing and/or a hot meal at lunchtime. Freezers,
refrigerators, food and clothing were all destroyed in the
flood.

Following the flood, the immediate food needs of the
community were met by donations. But once we were no
longer considered a disaster area those supplies were not
as readily available.
The city of Richwood has stepped back from distributing
food to emphasize getting families and individuals back
into their homes or into new facilities. So the pantry has
taken over the distribution of food. The Pantry served
131 households on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving;
those households served 352 individuals.
The Richwood Pantry has physically moved from the
Cherry River Plaza to 44 East Main St. as a partner of the
non-profit Nicholas County Empowerment Corp., which
owns the building. The pantry and farmers market will
eventually rent more than 3,000 square feet of space in
this facility. Most importantly, the facility is located out
of the flood plain.
The pantry is temporarily using part of the building that
will eventually become offices.

The Pantry is expected to move into
another area in the building. There
is a great deal of work to be done to
prepare the space for the pantry’s
permanent home.
When the building is totally refurbished multiple
services will be offered, including the pantry, the
farmer’s market, a daycare center and a Red Cross
emergency shelter.
We have had teams ranging from Boy Scouts to teams
that have been headed up by United Methodist Pastors
Randy Vincent from the Fairmont, W.Va., area and Joe
Shreve of Weston, W.Va. We still need teams to come
and work on the pantry.
Rev. Dr. Jay Cook, Faith-Macedonia Charge, may be
reached at drjayp@frontier.com.

28 THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WVUMC.ORG/DISASTER-RESPONSE

The best way to make disciples
By Rev. Jack Lipphardt

I flunked retirement.
"Follow me," he says.
Frequently I am
asked why, after
It was tempting to kick back in retirement
six weeks, I would
and take on a number of tasks at the home
answer a call of my
we built and to finish a number of projects
bishop to take on the
that will need now to wait. Jesus, of course,
task of directing our
is welcome in my home, but when I look for
conference response
him, I find him heading outside, waving me
to the June flood
out.
disaster.
"Follow me," he says.
First ( please don't
He is in the work and ministry of the United
tell anyone!), I am
Methodist Committee on Relief, UMCOR,
an obedient person,
and the West Virginia United Methodist
having a vow of
Conference's disaster response.
itineracy which
extends into my
He is in elderly folk whose homes were
entry into the retired
destroyed in Amma and Nallen, W.Va.
relationship: "Yes,
Ma'am, Bishop!" I
He is in children in Rainelle and Camdendon't say that glibly
Richwood, W.Va. on-Gauley who clutch in fear to their
but as a serious
mothers when it begins to rain.
response to my
calling. More significantly, though, it is a matter of
He is in children with a single parent in Clay who lost
discipleship. "Follow me," Jesus says.
not only their home but also the source of income when
the business employing their mother was impacted.
Throughout my life, I have remembered a profound
comment made by my grandmother: "The best way to
He is in disabled persons from Richwood and
make disciples is to be one." I also recall learning from a Clendenin who were living in residential facilities that
high school Sunday school lesson series on the Wesleys were destroyed, requiring their harrowing rescue and
that Father John observed that "there is no holiness but unsettling relocation.
social holiness.”
He is in the Howard's Creek neighborhood of White
From my parents, I learned the values associated with
Sulphur Springs where massive destruction took place,
observing the needs of others and, without fanfare,
killing five of the twenty-three people who perished in
doing what they could to respond, often bringing others the flooded region.
along by their quiet witness.
Jesus is "out there" saying, "Follow me." That is my
Much as I want to take comfort in the thought that
motive for what I do. May I invite you to understand
Jesus wants to enter my heart — that he stands at the
“discipleship” as following Jesus wherever he is? And,
door and knocks — I am persuaded, as retired North
maybe, others will see our witness and make decisions
Alabama Conference Bishop Will Willimon says, that
to follow also.
"We don't take Jesus anywhere; he takes us." Jesus may
be standing and knocking at my door, or at the door
Rev. Jack Lipphardt may be reached at
of my heart, but more than coming in, he is calling
jwlipphardt@aol.com.
me to come out and to go with him. It is a theological
framework for the life of discipleship.
“WE ARE A CHRIST-LED, SPIRITUAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD!”

The recovery is not finished
and neither are we.
“We received this donation in our offering plate Sunday.
Charleston, South Carolina, received generous gifts from UMCs
all across the nation. So, some of us want to ‘pay it forward’ and
help our brothers and sisters in West Virginia.”
“Heard from a West Virginia parishioner that the [United]
Methodist Church relief committee was a good place
to send donations.”
“Please accept this donation from the children who attended our
Vacation Bible School in July. The children wanted to help the
children who were affected by the floods.”
The West Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church
is blessed with an overwhelming outpouring of God’s grace
and generosity from brothers and sisters everywhere. There are
donations from small businesses to big banks, local foundations
to insurance companies. People contribute remembering
places where they grew up. Graduates of West Virginia
Wesleyan and West Virginia University give. Churches that had
experienced flooding are moved to shower us with prayers and
contributions for our recovery. Vacation Bible Schools, Sunday
Schools, congregations and conferences, each touched by the
immeasurable love of Christ, are moved to respond to places of
human suffering.
When you make a donation, all of it is used for flood recovery.
Your contribution combines with money we have received from
the United Methodist Committee on Relief and partnerships we
have formed with local foundations to become a greater blessing
to those in need.
Your donation can be made through the West Virginia Annual
Conference #935 for this special offering. Checks payable to
the W.Va. Conference Treasurer may be sent to P.O. Box 2469,
Charleston, WV 25329. ONLINE gifts can be made through the
United Methodist Foundation of W.Va. at UMFWV.org. Select
the online giving portal and fill in “United Methodist Disaster
Response #935” to complete your gift.
We are deeply grateful for and blessed by every one of your gifts.
We will continue to partner with you for as long as it takes to
rebuild our communities, in both body and spirit.

30 THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WVUMC.ORG/DISASTER-RESPONSE

Restoring HOPE
with your HELP
Name

Date

Address
Email

Phone
I will support WVUMC flood recovery efforts with my prayers.
I will support WVUMC flood recovery efforts with a financial gift.
$5/month for a year
$25/month for a year
per month for a year
one time gift

Your financial gifts may be given electronically. Go to the United
Methodist Foundation of WV, Inc. website - umfwv.org - click on
‘ways to give’ and open the giving portal. There you will see WV
Disaster #935. 100% of every gift goes directly to help people in need.
Thank you!

I will support WVUMC flood recovery efforts as a volunteer. I am willing to serve:
Spring 2017

Summer 2017

Fall 2017

Spring 2018

Summer 2018

I have served as a volunteer in the West Virginia flood areas and I am willing to share my testimony.
To fill this form out electronically go to wvumc.org/disaster-reponse.
Your response will be sent directly to our Disaster Response Director Jack Lipphardt,
or mail to:
WVUMC Disaster Response
Attn: Jack Lipphardt
PO Box 2313
Charleston, WV 25328

“WE ARE A CHRIST-LED, SPIRITUAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD!”

31

WV Annual Conference of UMC
PO Box 2313
Charleston, WV 25328

https://www.facebook.com/wvumc
https://twitter.com/WVUMC

Eighteen of West
Virginiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 55 counties
were affected by the
June 23 flood. Hash
marks signify the 12
counties designated
eligible for individual
and public assistance;
colored areas signify
the 6 counties
designated eligible for
public assistance.
2/22/16 11:52 PM